HealthlineNews

Proposed Experiments on Deadly Flu Virus Stir Controversy

Two researchers are proposing genetic experiments on the H7N9 flu virus to see what would happen if it could spread from person to person.

An outbreak of H7N9 bird flu with pandemic potential has some
researchers calling for controversial experiments to help countries
prepare for the worst. Others say not so fast.

A pair of letters jointly published today in the journals Science and Nature represent the researchers' views and a response by officials
at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the
National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS).

The researchers, Ron A.M. Fouchier of
Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands and Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the
University of Wisconsin-Madison, both virologists, argue the H7N9 virus
already contains mutations and could spread among humans. Patients being
treated for the illness have also developed resistance to some
medications, they wrote.

A report published Tuesday in the British Medical Journalshowed
the first evidence of person to person transmission of H7N9, though the
authors said its ability to spread is “limited and non-sustainable.”

Fouchier and Kawaoka
want to undertake tests called “gain of function” experiments, in which
the virus would intentionally be mutated further to see what would
happen if it were able to travel from person to person. The experiments
are necessary to prepare for a public health crisis, the researchers
argue.

“We hope that by being transparent, people will realize the
value of what we do and feel less anxious about this research,” Kawaoka
told Healthline.

H7N9 Is Already Mutating

“The
H7N9 virus has several mutations that were also found in flu viruses
that caused pandemics in the last century,” Fouchier told Healthline.
“It also has some mutations that are associated with airborne
transmission."

Health Agencies Want More Oversight

The response letter, signed by representatives of public health agencies,
calls for extra oversight in conducting these gain of function
experiments. The HHS said it will require an additional level of review
before funding the studies. The CDC also tightened biosafety regulations
for experiments on the H7N9 virus.

Many
in the medical community believe gain of function tests are risky
because mutated viruses could be passed along to a scientist and then
spread to the general population. Others worry that if such research is
published, it could put the key to developing a deadly virus in the
wrong hands.

Michael Osterholm, director
of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the
University of Minnesota, said he has ongoing concerns about the
experiments. “There's one group that believes this work can and should
be done with pretty much minimal oversight, and another group that
believes it shouldn't be done at all,” he told Healthline. “I'm in
between.”

Although he believes the research could provide some new and important information, Osterholm
said the U.S. government needs to be vigilant. “We just haven't done an
extensive risk-benefit analysis. Is there really a benefit?”

A 'Tremendous Ethical Dilemma'

Gain
of function research has been done on the H5N1 flu virus as well.
Osterholm said the experiments have not succeeded in letting scientists
measure the ongoing risks of transmission, which is one of the benefits
the researchers are touting.

Dr. Michael Shaw, associate director for laboratory science in the CDC's influenza division told
Healthline that gain of function experiments present a “tremendous
ethical dilemma,” but in the end most scientists and public health
officials believe they are needed. “It's the intersection of science,
politics and ethics, with potentially huge ramifications.”

Kawaoka
said the experiments do not pose an ethical problem for him because
they're in the interest of public health. The experiments must be
approved by his Institutional Bioethics Committee, which usually
includes public input. He is also waiting on the go-ahead from his
funding sources.

“For
viruses, gain of function can mean that one makes a dangerous virus
potentially more dangerous. Some people argue that that is too risky,”
his co-author Fouchier added. “However, in virology research we have
specially designed laboratories available at different biosafety levels,
and numerous additional risk mitigation measures to reduce risks to the
absolute minimum.”

Learn More

Healthline’s mission is to make the people of the world healthier through the power of information. We do this by creating quality health information that is authoritative, approachable, and actionable.

Join more than 30 million monthly visitors like you and let Healthline be your guide to better health.